


Fighting Fire with Fire

by LittleMissRainbow



Series: INFLAME [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: (and not in a good way), Anger, Angst, Cheating, F/M, Kagami plays dirty, M/M, Revenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 07:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5734204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissRainbow/pseuds/LittleMissRainbow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taiga didn't need reason; he needed anger. </p><p>Anger was good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fighting Fire with Fire

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know where this came from. 
> 
> (Please be gentle. /shot)

The Winter Cup was supposed to fix everything. It was to put an end on things, a chance for them to finally move on—or so he thought.

But it didn't.

Now here he was, back to square one—back to where it all stated.

Turns out, he was just the fool who was stupid enough to fall for prettily-phrased words.

**\---**

_It was in the way Midorima said it, as well as the docile looks on Kise and Kuroko's faces._

_It bothered him. It was like an itch he could barely reach. It was just on the surface yet every time he tried reaching for it, it only burrows itself deeper. He tried telling Kuroko about it, but the words twist his tongue into uselessness, blocking his windpipe until there was nothing else to say._

_And then he met the man himself: Aomine Daiki._

_"I played Aomine. He said he used to be your 'light'," Taiga mentioned, as nonchalant as he dared. "It sounded to me like you weren't just ordinary teammates."_

_He didn't want to know, but—"What happened between you two in middle school?"_

_Kuroko's silence answered his question more than if he had spoken out loud. But he continued to look the other way._

**\---**

The paper was easy enough, he supposed. Pick a partner and write about their most precious thing in the most artistic way possible. It was for their English class, so Kagami was already expecting a barely passing grade; the teacher hated his guts and his "fancy American accent".

"It's due in two months, so you'll have time to get to know your partner more." Takahashi-sensei's said, his voice more condescending than it was comforting. In the past, he probably would've reacted to it. Yet, Taiga reveled in the nasal buzz. He was tired. At least it irritated him enough to keep his eyes open.

"Kagami-kun, would you like to pair up?" Kuroko's baby blue eyes looked so beautiful under the morning sun.

He could say no.

"Sure."

**\---**

"Go ahead." He took a huge bite out of his cheeseburger.

"Basketball."

"That won't do. I already called dibs on that. Next."

 _Slurp._ "Milkshakes."

"How the hell am I going to write about that?"

"Curry."

"Enough with the food."

"Nigou."

"Anything but that _thing_."

Kuroko sighed. "You're impossible to work with, Kagami-kun."

"You're just really difficult. Don't you have anything else that's precious to you?"

It was a minute reaction, but Taiga caught it. He was almost sure that he'd actually say it.

"Perhaps you should give me more time to think about this."

Taiga was really tempted to push it.

"Okay. Tomorrow, then."

**\---**

Kuroko caught him before he lugged his tired body to the locker room.

Practice today was brutal. Coach Aida really pushed them hard today. Kiyoshi's departure left an incredibly big hole in their formation. With the formidable pillar of support gone, Seirin has to work three times as hard to keep their steam from running out. Aida wasn't going to take any chances, as was the captain. The rest of the team had mixed feelings.

Taiga wanted to jump in surprise, but his body was just too tired. Along with practice, his brain wouldn't shut up last night. Again. The reds in his eyes stood out more than what was considered healthy. He settled for a sharp intake of breath instead.

"Yeah?"

"I won't be able to make it today, Kagami-kun. I have plans," came his bland voice.

He merely grunted and left his shadow behind him.

**\---**

_"Are you sure about this Kuroko?" Taiga was worried. He saw how Kuroko almost collapsed from exertion, and they were only halfway done from the training camp. The heat from the beach was not helping matters at all. He was fragile, even more so after they lost at the Inter-High. "You don't have to push yourself."_

_"I'm very sure, Kagami-kun." Kuroko kissed his cheek sweetly, his pale skin stained a light red. It thrilled him to think that it was he who caused that. "Please."_

_Who was he to say no?_

**\---**

That night, he dropped by at Majiba and got his cheeseburgers to go. When he walked home, he passed by the open court without so much as a cursory glance.

**\---**

"Dogs."

"I already said no to that!"

"Michael Jordan?"

"... No."

" _Air_ Jordans."

He sighed. "This isn't going to work out, Kuroko."

Taiga wasn't even sure if he's still talking about the damn paper anymore.

**\---**

_"Kagamicchi!!! It's been so long! How have you been?"_

"What?" came his gruff reply. He didn't have time for this. Doing his Math homework has finally gotten him sleepy, and now _this_ guy has to interrupt.

_"How cold! I just wanted to check on you."_

"How did you even get this number?"

His voice turned playfully mischievous. _"I have my sources, of course~"_

Momoi, then. "Whatever. What the hell do you want, Kise?"

_"Can't a guy just say 'hi' to a friend?"_

"Go to hell."

_"Wha—! You're so mean! I'm being a real delight here!"_

"Cut the crap. Tell me what you want or I'll hang up on you."

Kise sighed heavily over the phone, voice still thick with flair. _"Fine~ How's Kurokocchi doing?"_

Taiga hung up.

**\---**

Taiga sat alone at Majiba with a tray full of cheeseburgers. The chair in front of him held nothing, but his eyes kept uselessly straying to it.

He barely even finished the first burger before he asked the cashier for a paperbag.

**\---**

_They won. 106-105, Seirin actually_ won _the Winter Cup and managed to overthrow the reign of the Emperor, Rakuzan._

_Kagami turned to Kuroko, his face strained from all the smiling he's been doing. "It's finally over."_

_Kuroko's eyes were unfocused when he replied. "Yes. Yes, it is."_

_Somehow, those words weren't as comforting as they should've been. Still, Taiga shook it off, sure he was just thinking nonsense._

**\---**

"Wristbands."

"Not that."

"Ice Popsicle sticks?"

His stomach churned. "Pick another one."

"What about Japanese literature?"

"I know jack shit about that."

Kuroko shifted on his seat. That's twice now. "Would you be interested in reading at least one of my novels and use that?"

"No."

The sudden silence was enough for Taiga to raise his head from where it was cocooned in his folded arms on the table. Kuroko's stare was more intense than usual. It was as elating as it was sickening that he was the only one in this room who could tell. "What do you want me to say, Kagami-kun?"

"I don't know." It's the most honest answer he's given in days.

**\---**

Practice came and went. Coach yelled at him again for doing a sucky job and ordered him to wash the team's sweaty towels.

Kuroko didn't even say goodbye when he left.

**\---**

After he finished, Taiga picked up his phone and did something he never thought he'd actually do.

_"Hello?"_

"Kise. Would you mind doing me a favor?"

**\---**

_He wasn't supposed to see it, that much he was sure of. They've taken such huge lengths not to be seen, after all._

_It was only by pure chance that he saw. He took another route, different from the one he usually uses, to get home that day because there was an accident on the main road. He walked through the back alley near the basketball court when he saw them there._

_It felt like iron burning holes on his stomach, slowly eating up his insides and setting him on fire. Outside, he was cold; numb. The realization that they were right all along; that he was stupid to believe otherwise. He'd suspected, yet he still refused to believe._

_He's such a_ fucking idiot _._

_He didn't even have the strength to get mad. All he could do was walk away and try not to lose the contents of his meal on the pavement._

**\---**

Kagami took a small detour before heading home.

**\---**

The moment he stepped into the classroom, Taiga knew Kuroko found out.

Judging by the cold shoulder and the rather troublesome methods he's doing just to avoid his imposing presence, Taiga knew he was mad.

Taiga didn't know which was worse: that he didn't care, or the fact that he didn't even feel the slightest bit terrible that he didn't give a damn.

Practice was tense. Everybody could feel the tension between their ace and his partner and it didn't bode well for the team. Even Izuki couldn't utter a single pun.

"What the hell did you do this time, Bakagami?!"

The coach was mad because Kuroko was mad at him and didn't want to work with him. They both knew that Kuroko won't say anything, so she turned to grill Taiga.

If only she knew the real reason why.

He didn't say a thing. The Boston Crab Hold was much easier to stomach than telling her the truth.

**\---**

Kise's voice was uncharacteristically quiet when he called that night. It was refreshing.

_"What did you do, Kagamicchi?"_

His reply was indifferent. "Maybe you should ask Aomine."

Taiga turned his phone off after hanging up. He got the best sleep that night for the first time in days.

**\---**

The next morning, when he turned his phone on again, there were 8 voice messages and 27 mails.

One of them was from Tatsuya.

_< There were other ways you should've gone about it, Taiga.>_

He left his phone at home.

Taiga didn't need reason; he needed _anger_.

Anger was good.

**\---**

Sure enough, Aomine ambushed him after school, a few blocks away from Seirin.

He pushed Taiga onto the chain-linked fence, grabbing his collar so hard he wouldn't be surprised to find finger marks there later.

Aomine was shaking so hard, the fragile fence on his back was starting to jingle in response. "What the fuck did I ever do to you, huh?" he growled, his wild eyes emphasized by dark bags and the purplish shiner on his face.

He was suffering. Good.

Taiga let out a bitter laugh, the ugly feeling in his stomach resurfacing once again. The irony was just too much. He grabbed the man's hands and pushed him away, Aomine stumbling slightly, his rage still too potent in his system to think properly.

"Maybe you should've thought of that before you stuck your tongue down my boyfriend's _throat_ , you _asshole_."

He relished the look of shock on Aomine's face and walked away.

**\---**

_All it took was one e-mail and an attached image._

**\---**

He was not surprised to see him seated at their usual table at Majiba the following day, sans his usual order of large vanilla milkshake. Still, Taiga sat down, his own tray filled with his regular order of cheeseburgers.

He ate his burgers like he didn't notice him at all.

"You are understandably angry, Kagami-kun. I get that."

He said nothing. Kuroko wasn't done yet.

"I shouldn't have cheated on you; that was my mistake. However, what you did to Aomine-kun is inexcusable." He sounded apologetic—there was that, at least.

But it wasn't enough.

"Really? After all this time, that's all you have to say?" His reply came out unexpectedly flat, in huge contrast to the rage starting to boil in his belly.

Kuroko sighed. He sounded like he was chiding a small, temperamental child. "What you did was not right, Kagami-kun. Did you know that Momoi-san refuses to talk to Aomine-kun anymore? Outing him to Momoi-san wasn't your call to make."

Taiga leaned forward until his face was close enough to Kuroko's that he felt more than saw his surprise. "Well, maybe he should've thought twice about it before _cheating_ on his girlfriend with someone who, in case you've actually _forgotten_ , was _also_ in a relationship."

His chair made an ugly screeching sound when he stood up abruptly, taking his tray to the counter and asking the cashier to pack it up. He didn't look back to see if Kuroko was following him.

He didn't care anymore.

Taiga walked briskly, ignoring the "Kagami-kun; Kagami-kun, listen to me" behind him. Finally, Kuroko caught up to him and grabbed his arm.

"Kagami-kun, please—"

" _Why_?" Frustration was clear in his voice. "Just... _why_ did you do it, Kuroko?"

Kuroko owed him that much.

"Did you even think of me? What I would feel when I found out? Did you even think of _me_ , Kuroko?"

Kuroko said nothing, his grip on Taiga's arm gradually loosening until he let go. Taiga suddenly felt tired, like he hasn't slept in days. The soft, downy texture of his duvet seemed so far away. He could feel the familiar numbness greeting him as it creeped up his spine. He didn't even have the strength to face Kuroko anymore.

"Tell me the truth, Kuroko. Did you ever really love me? Or was I just the convenient substitute who happened to be around?"

"I _love_ you, Kagami-kun," he said, his voice firm. "Never once think that you were just a substitute. Please believe me."

"Then," he spun around to face him, an unreadable look on his face. "Do you still love _him_?"

"... No."

It was a lie, one which they both knew.

"You know what? It's fine. It's my fault, really." Kagami's voice was pitched with hysteria, his eyes darting to anywhere and everywhere but at the shadow beside him. He was close to breaking down, he knew, but he's been enduring this for such a long time that he's turned the fire inside into numbing ice. "I should've just listened to them. I knew something was going on but I had to go and be the _fool_ who refused to believe it.

"In the end, I'm just the _idiot_ who chose to believe _you_."

Kuroko's eyes were filled with tears, with hurt. The desire to make it all better was strong within Kagami. It was unfair that after all this time, Kuroko still had a vice-grip on his being.

Still, he managed to hold firm. The freezing rage in his heart refused to make him move from where he was standing. Perhaps it was self-preservation; his psyche knew instinctively that it would only lead to his further demise.

"I'm sorry, Kagami-kun." Kuroko was trembling, clutching his shirt almost desperately as if he was crumbling inside as well. "I'm _so sorry._ "

"I wasn't asking for much. I just wanted you by my side." It pained him to say those words out loud, and it hurt even more as he walked away.

**\---**

That night, he received an e-mail from Momoi.

_< Thank you, Kagamin.>_

His stare was pointed at the ceiling, yet he there was nothing he could see. He never intended to apologize, but he wasn't out to hurt everyone either. As vitriolic as his intention was, at least he was able to help her, he thought ruefully to himself. After all, she was only a bystander who got caught in the crossfire, unjustifiably injured just because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Not everyone has to be destroyed by the flames. Even Kagami knew that.

Perhaps this could be his saving grace from the hellfire that will consume him for his sins, consume him until there's nothing left but dust. His ashes.

He willed sleep to find him quickly that night. At least in his dreams, he could be nothing.

Oblivion was a far better alternative than hearing his heart breaking from the inside out.

**Author's Note:**

> SEND HELP


End file.
